Pan India Online Essay Contest titled ‘YEAR 2 AC (After Coronavirus): A Future Imagined by Youth’

The coronavirus is over one year old. We have seen it change its form, being far more infectious and has acquired greater transferability especially amongst the youth, unlike the first wave. The onset of the virus has unleashed a major disruption in learning and working leading to uncertainty in many ways.

In order to make youth voices heard, UNESCO and Takhte jointly invite young writers to address through words important questions for humanity in our current context, and particularly, going forward. .

As a platform for critical thinking and writing, Takhte and UNESCO are launching the third edition of the contest as ‘Year 2 AC (After Coronavirus: A Future Imagined by Youth - Pan India Online Essay Contest 2021’ for children (aged 11–14 years) and youth (aged 15–24 years), to reflect on our current challenges, and how to build resilience and a better future for all..

For this years’ edition, the contest will be launched and remain open for two months. Entries will be received on a rolling basis, and UNESCO and Takhte will select each week the two (2) best essays, one from the different categories to be published weekly on their websites and social media. Later on, the 100 winning essays will be published as a book.

Contest Categories

The essay contest has categories for children (aged 11–14 years at the time of submission) and youth (aged 15–24 years at the time of submission). 

A. Essay topics for children

• The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by school closing across the world. What lessons can we draw to make education systems more resilient for the future?
• In times of hardship, our community, culture and traditions help maintain our social and mental wellbeing. What are some of the aspects of your culture that have helped you and your community?
• Globally, women hold only 7 per cent of government leadership positions, yet many countries led by women have been celebrated for their response to Covid-19. How can we encourage more women to take up leadership positions?
• The pandemic has alerted us about our broken relationship with nature. What lessons can we learn for a better future on issues related to climate change, biodiversity and the environment?
• Lockdowns and social isolation has led to increased screen time. This entails the risk of exposure to online hate speech, harassment and bullying. What is the role of young people in promoting peace online?

B. Essay topics for youth

• We have seen a transition to remote/online learning modalities, together with a change in the labour market where digital skills, socio-emotional skills, higher order thinking skills and adaptability are being valued more than ever. How can technical and vocational education be strengthened in India to address these needs?
• The pandemic has caused 100 million direct tourism jobs to be at-risk. Women, who make up 54 percent of the tourism workforce, and youth have been particularly affected by disruptions to cultural tourism worldwide. As a young person, what initiatives would you recommend to revive cultural tourism in a post-pandemic world, and to promote inclusive, community-driven and sustainable tourism?
• The coronavirus has highlighted social and gender inequalities, such as the rise in domestic abuse, loss of education access, and the reduction of job opportunities for urban migrant workers. What kinds of responses are needed to address prevailing inequalities and violence? What kind of role can youth play in this space?
• The pandemic has highlighted the service gaps with respect to communities in rural areas, urban slums, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and other backward classes. How can we create more equitable health systems in which we do not leave out the most vulnerable sections of society?
• Artificial Intelligence has played an important role in the Indian economy, yet potential misuses of AI in many fields, such as economics and health, could have negative impacts on our lives. What can we do for AI products to be more ethical and human-centered?

Recognitions and Outcomes

i. The top two (2) essays, one per category will be announced every week

ii. The 100 winners of the essay contest will be announced on the websites and Facebook pages of Takhte and UNESCO New Delhi, later on this year

iii.The writers of the 100 winning essays will receive Certificates of Recognition from Takhte and UNESCO New Delhi

iv. The 100 essays will finally be published in the form of a book entitled ‘‘Year 2 AC (After Coronavirus: A Future Imagined by Youth - Pan India Online Essay Contest 2021’

v. The book will credit the contributor of each essay as well as the screening committee members involved with the process of assessment and evaluation

vi. The book of essays will be launched by UNESCO New Delhi and Takhte, and will subsequently be promoted extensively in order to maximize its visibility and outreach

There is no Entry Fee